The present invention relates to a health-improving spice composition and, more particularly, it pertains to a spice composition comprising 1 to 30% by weight of garlic, 10 to 50% by weight of onion, 0.2 to 10% by weight of ginger, 5 to 40% by weight of jujube, and 10 to 50% by weight of citrus peel or an extract thereof or 1 to 20% by weight of naringin or hesperidin.
In recent years, an increasing number of the adult population have been afflicted with such diseases as cancer and cardio-circulatory disorders and it has been reported that such diseases can be prevented by improving the diet.
Onion, garlic and ginger are common raw materials for preparing spices in Korea. Garlic is known to have an anti-cancer activity together with activities for preventing cardio-circulatory diseases, promoting circulation of the blood and strengthening the immune system(L.D. Lawson, xe2x80x9cBioactive Organosulfur Compounds of Garlic and Garlic Products: Role in Reducing Blood Lipidsxe2x80x9d, in Human Medicinal Agents, 306-330, D. Kinghorn and M. F. Balaandrin Eds., ACS symposium Series, 534, 1993). Onion has been reported to be useful in preventing cardio-circulatory diseases; it lowers the blood cholesterol level, increases the blood high-density lipoprotein(HDL) level and inhibits the platelet aggregation(J. Carper, Food Pharmacy, Batam Books (1989)).
Hitherto, citrus peels have been discarded or used only for the preparation of an animal fodder or organic fertilizer. Dried citrus peel comprises 50 to 60 wt % of alcohol-insoluble polymers such as pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose; 30 to 50 wt % of alcohol-soluble solid materials(80 wt % thereof consisting of glucose, fructose and sucrose); and a small or trace amount of bioflavonoids, vitamins, limonoids, phenolic compounds and oils. In particular, various bioflavonoids listed in Table I are present in the citrus peel (Horowitz, R. M., et al., J. Org. Chem., 25, 2183-2187(1960)). Among the bioflavonoids, hesperidin is a major component of oranges, lemons and tangerines; naringin is a major component of grapefruits; and nearly the same amounts of naringin and hesperidin are present in citron.
It has been reported that the bioflavonoids isolated from a citrus peel have anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, anti-viral and blood-pressure lowering activities (Saija, A., et al., Free Radical Biol. Med., 19, 481-486(1995); Matsubara, Y., et al., Japan Organic Synthesis Chem. Association Journal, 52, 318-327(1994, Mar.); Galati, E. M., et al., Farmaco., 51(3), 219-221(1996, Mar.); Felicia, V., et al., Nutr. Cancer, 26, 167-181(1996); EP 0352147A2(1990. 1. 24); and Kaul, T. N., et al., J. Med. Viol., 15, 71-75(1985)). Further, limonoids present in the citrus peel have been reported to have an anti-cancer activity(Lam, L. K. T., et al., Inhibition of Chemically Induced Carcinogenesis by Citrus Limonoids, In Food Phytochemicals for Cancer Prevention, Vol. I, ACS Symposium series No. 546, M. T. Huang, O. Osawa, C. T. Ho, R. Rosen(eds), 1993).
However, hitherto, no spice compositions containing citrus peel or an extract thereof have been reported. The present inventors have endeavored to develop a health-improving spice composition and have discovered that a spice composition comprising onion, garlic, ginger, jujube and citrus peel or an extract thereof is very helpful for preventing adult diseases such as cancer, hypertension and cardio-circulatory diseases.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel health-improving spice composition.